Everyone at the table: A season of color and growth

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 14, 2026

The sunshine and warmer temps have arrived! Splashes of vibrant colors greet us during spring in Sequim, from flowers in our yards to the greens in our gardens and local farms. There’s a sense of all of us coming out of hibernation. Many signs of color and life are popping up at the food bank.

I walked outside the other day just as one of our longtime volunteers — nearly two decades with the food bank — was pulling in from a local farm. The bed of her truck was completely full of plant starts. Onions, lettuce, herbs, early vegetables.

The next day they were going out to visitors. One person smiled as they picked up lettuce and chive starts and said, “They’re so cute! I’m so excited to put these in my garden area.”

That’s spring at the food bank. Not just food going out — but food people can take home and grow. We’re seeing more of that recently. People planting, tending, and in many cases sharing their hard-earned bounty — with neighbors, families, and friends. Sometimes even donating back through our Giving Gardens program. Sharing our garden-grown food gives others the opportunity to have nourishing, fresh vegetables and fruit from their community.

We’ve even planted our own herb garden at the food bank. The beds are coming to life with shades of green — herbs like cilantro, parsley, mint, and basil. Fresh herbs are a frequent request from food bank visitors as they are a treat to cook with and expensive to purchase at the grocery store. We are excited to watch them grow and hear how visitors utilize their herbs in their favorite dishes — yet another way the community is finding creative ways to assist our neighbors.

There’s another fun splash of spring color at the food bank — orange!

If you’ve driven past on distribution days you’ve seen the iconic yellow of the Sequim Food Bank sweatshirts. From volunteer and visitor requests, staff are now wearing orange so they’re easier to find when questions come up. It’s practical. But it has also become a wonderful, unexpected visual for who the food bank is — it’s a sea of yellow with dots of orange.

Those volunteers in yellow are the heart of the food bank — people who show up week after week and do whatever needs doing. From making sure traffic flows safely, to packing Weekend Meal Bags for children, to walking someone through distribution who does not have a vehicle. They offer a warm welcome to people who may be arriving with uncertainty or stress.

And those moments are still happening.

The number of people coming through the food bank hasn’t dropped. We’re still seeing the same high levels we’ve been talking about for months.

Recently, I spoke with a visitor who had encouraged a friend to come to the food bank for the first time. He had been struggling, and she suggested he join her at a distribution. As we talked, she shared how the food bank has helped her prepare quick, nutritious meals her children enjoy, using ingredients like fresh eggs and produce. She said the welcoming environment keeps her coming back, and now she encourages others who may be struggling to reach out for support too.

If you read the first article in the Sequim Gazette’s “From Hunger to Hope” series, you heard another version of that. The food bank visitor who was interviewed noted, “It’s the best fresh food in the world… We’re getting treated with dignity (at the food bank), and I love that.”

We love that too. We love that friends are encouraging friends to use a resource that is here for them when they need it. We love that when they show up at the food bank, they feel welcomed and part of the family.

Great news for all who wish to participate in supporting that welcome — we’ve set the date for our second annual “Everyone at the Table” event: Saturday, Sept. 19. The event is open to the whole community. There will be music, food, and fun for all. Meet our volunteers and staff, and enjoy a meal with your neighbors. Local chef and dedicated food bank volunteer Chris Plemmons already signed up to do the food again this year — a real treat!

Planning is in the early stages, and already it’s what you’d expect if you’ve spent any time around the food bank: volunteers throwing out ideas, figuring it out as they go, building something together.

If you are a local business or organization, you might see one of them in the coming weeks — probably in a bright yellow shirt — stopping by to invite you to sponsor the event. Local sponsors help us keep doing this work. And it’s a direct way to be part of what’s already happening here, week in and week out.

Neighbors showing up for neighbors, ensuring that everyone has a place at the colorful table.

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Jen Colmore is executivr director of the Sequim Food Bank.